1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fixing member for receiving and fixing a display panel and a variety of other components by being disposed at front and rear sides of the display panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among a variety of display devices, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display using an OLED panel is well known.
A typical OLED panel is constructed with a plurality of OLEDs. Each OLED includes an anode that is a hole injection electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a cathode that is an electron injection electrode.
When the anode and cathode respectively inject holes and electrons into the organic light emitting layer, the electrons and holes combine in the organic light emitting layer and generate excitons. The OLEDs emit light using energy generated when excitons drop from an excitation state to a ground state.
An active matrix OLED panel includes a plurality of pixels that are basic units for displaying variable visual images and are arranged in a matrix pattern on a substrate. A thin film transistor (TFT) functioning as a switching element is provided for each of the pixels to independently control the corresponding pixel.
A display device having the above-described OLED panel or other types of display panels may be applied to a variety of compact mobile devices such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a portable multimedia player, and the like.
The display device must be excellent in terms of visibility, thinness, and shock-resistance.
In a contemporary display device, a lower fixing member is installed at a rear side of the display panel to fix the display panel and a variety of other components such as an integrated circuit chip installed on the display panel.
An upper fixing member having a transparent protective unit that is referred to as a “window” is installed at a front side of the display panel to protect the display panel.
The transparent protective unit is spaced apart from the display panel by a certain gap.
In this case, since light emitted from the display panel is directed to an external side through the transparent protective unit, the visibility is deteriorated due to a refractive index difference between the transparent protective unit and the gap between the transparent protective unit and the display panel, and the deterioration of transmittance caused by the gap.
Further, the gap between the display panel and the transparent protective unit is greater than 0.5 mm. This causes an undesirable increase in the thickness of the display device, contrary to the current slimming trend of display devices.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.